Carling CupTravesty

It is not very often when a Wembley Cup Final is going to be remembered for the referee's performance. Phil Dowd, in my humble opinion,gave Manchester United a completely unwarranted helpful hand. In the 4th minute of the game Gabby Agbonlahor was brought down by Nemanja Vidic winning Villa a penalty kick. Vidic and Agbonlahor were a good 5 yards clear of the nearest United player. The foul was a deliberate professional foul and being the last man Vidic was looking at a straight red card. Dowd didn't have any option but to send the player packing as it is not even one of the times when the ref has any discretion. A blatant foul which, though conceding a penalty from which Milner scored, should have seen the man in red walk. But no Dowd did what so many referees before him have done. Bottled it because it was a United player. I say bottled it because the alternative is not worth thinking about. He refused to even give Vidic a yellow card. A few minutes later he made that decision seem even more ludicrous. On 12 minutes he books James Collins for bringing down Michael Owen. I am so confused at this point that I was half expecting Dowd to send Collins off. At one point it looked as though Dowd's mistake could lead to a very nasty incident but Villa settled back down and normal play resumed. The tackles became less fierce and the game ran it's course. The statistics will show that Manchester United won by beating Aston Villa 2-1. I believe it would be fairer to say that Manchester United and Phil Dowd beat Aston Villa 2-1.

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As a Villa fan, I will naturally agree that Dowd's decision was a disgrace. However, he was otherwise unbiased, and having gone 1-0 up against a sub-par Man Ure side, we were eventually well beaten, having offered no serious goal threat for the remaining 86 minutes. O'Neill should be the real object of Villan's anger. Dowd was inept in one game. O'Neill has been inept all season.

I don't understand why MOM is to blame for Villa not winning the match. 11 against 10 and you lost, then perhaps I could. You lost because a player stayed on the pitch when he should have been sent off. IMO

Unfortunately poor refereeing decisions like that are common place down in the lower divisions yatesyVillain. Normally when we complain people say it is sour grapes because it was us. This time though the whole country could see it.
Brings the use of technology for decisions a little bit closer I think. Though he had his earpiece in so surely the 4th official could have advised Dowd to do the right thing.

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